Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-01
The Male EIirf.

Mrs ID. Lovett Cameron in London Society,""
The male f1irt Is Individual not confined to
our own days, nor yet even to our own century.
From time immemorial this terrible yet fascinat-
ing person has scourged society," the pirates
and buccaneers Of old said to have ScOurged the
seas, with their powerful and irresistible charm.
There Is a weird attraction about him, fearful
JOY at his approach, a horrible and unnatural de-
vampire OF German fairy lore, he SubJugateS the
senses and curdleS the blood at one and the same
time; he IS delightful and yet alarming, entcing
and yet appalling, all at once. The male f1rt is
the terror of mothers, and the dereStation of the
whole race OF elderly auntS and cnaperOns of all
kinds We have all in turn been warned against
them, all cautioned TO steel our hearts to his adj
vances and TO barricade the portals OF our souls
against bis Serpent-like depredations Yet so con-
trafictlou- and so foolish is the nature of woman
that there IS not one or Us, young or DID, who has
not at some time or other or lives fallen will
ing victim TO this seductively dangerous indi-
v1dual.
The male fitrt is made SO neither by practice nor
yet by educatfon-he Is born so: Just as genius,
cooking, or mathematics is born with man. is
flirting III Its higher branches implanted within
him by nature. He is not often handsome man.
although he is invariably pleasant one, and he is
not "a rule popular among his fellow
Fathers and brothers eye him with suspicion, as
something which they do not wholly comprehend
whila husbands turn cold shoulders upon his
Establishments, or at best treat him with freezing
pOliteneSS- Men. IN short, look upon him aShance
and one and all unite ia running him down-but
perhaps that is only because they are Jealous OF
him. But among the women he Is a king. He
Saunters into room with that natural air OF ease
and confidence which the knowledge OF his power
engenderS within hin, and ut once every feminine
heart Is set 1utterng and hoping: his hostess well
comes him with an unusual cOrdal1tv, and with
TWO hands held out impuiSiyey TO grasp his SO
that he IS perforce obliged 10 iinger little at her
Side; and then he glaDceS round with lazy debera-
ton and selects his victim, and Straightway one
woman Is rendered deliriOiSly happy, While fifty
become Immediately sensible that their fondest
hopes are 4 failure, AMI are filed with unSpeak-
able misery, envy, and Jealousy. When the male
tirt is talking TO the one favored lady OF his choice
he is able Instantly TO convey TO her the no doubt
erroneous impression that She Is the one and only
woman on the face or the Whole world With whom
Ii is the slightest pleasure TO him TO converse He
never says so In woriS-he pays her no cOmpli-
mentS, makes no direct observations upon her
dress or looks; his hatJery IS OF too delicate
nature for such coarse and OutSpoken methods
only his manner implies unmistakable alteration,
and his eyes are filled with unutterable things
He has habit OF leaving his sentences unfinished;
OF beginning great deal and OF breaking short
into significant SilenceS; OF signing frequently
and OF looking sad and sentimental. Sometimes
again he smiles into her eyes with a sort OF rap
ture, and lowers his voice mySterlouSly with
cafoSSing whispers that nave untold meanings
in their almost fnauiible murnur1nga Yet ne
never commits hlmSef-nOt he, He Is far too
clever TO be caught IN the net lie spreads So cum
ning.y, too wary To proceed TOO lar along that
dangerous road upon whchit is so keen pleasure
to hun To venture.